We worked with the science and engineering business development team at a London university to organise a half-day workshop for businesses and researchers in the “smart home” industry.

The event would give businesses access to academics at the cutting edge of research, and provide academics with the opportunity to apply their research in the real world.

The university was keen to get away from the usual PowerPoint-heavy format for such events, and move to a much more natural, conversation-based approach to making valuable connections.

We started by facilitating an “introductions” session, where each participant could briefly explain their key area of interest, plus what they ideally wanted to achieve from the workshop.

Then, participants were invited to engage in quick-fire discussions to brainstorm potential areas for collaboration. The ultimate aim was to identify opportunities for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships or Innovate UK funding.

We asked each participant to fill out a “Discovery Form” along the way, which helped them record the outcomes of their discussions, and also provided feedback to the organisers on what ground was covered during the event.

Several successful partnerships were formed with a view to applying for project funding.